At the Thaai Kizhavi pre-release event on Monday, the film's director, Sivakumar Murugesan, was asked about the inspiration behind the upcoming Radikaa Sarathkumar-starrer. The director recalled the impact his grandmother and another old lady had on his family as the motivation he had to make such a film.
"My Appatha, my father’s mother, and my friend’s grandmother, Pounuthaai, were the inspiration behind this story. My parents have often told me how immense their contribution has been to our lives, and observing these two grandmothers closely helped me shape the narrative. The tradition of Thandatti Thaai Kizhavis is slowly fading, as the culture is no longer followed by the younger generation. I wanted to make a film that represents them, because they are more than just matriarchs in their families."
Despite having the story ready, not many were convinced he had the right actor to pull off the story. "A producer once asked me how I could even imagine this story without Manorama Amma, saying no one else could pull it off."
However, Sivakumar placed his belief in Radikaa Sarathkumar's talents. "I was confident that Radikaa ma’am would bring this character to life. As a debutant, I was hesitant to narrate the story of Thaai Kizhavi to Radikaa ma’am. She too had her initial reservations, but she chose to trust us and agreed to be part of the film," he explained. Further, the filmmaker detailed the immense efforts that the veteran actor put in to achieve the look for the film. "The prosthetics used for her character were quite heavy and often caused her leg pain. Yet she never once complained or gave up. She endured all that hardship purely for the sake of the film."
Thaai Kizhavi also stars Raichal Rabecca, Bala Saravanan, Munishkanth, Muthukumar, Aruldoss, Singampuli, Ilavarasu and George Mariyan. On the technical front, the film has cinematography by Vivek Vijayakumar, editing by San Lokesh and music by Nivas K Prasanna. The film, backed by Sivakarthikeyan's SK Productions, is gearing up for release on February 27.
